Rooibos Industry News
A beautiful pink bra, made almost entirely of used Rooibos tea bags, has been created by a leading lingerie brand to shine the spotlight on breast cancer which affects 1 in 27 women in South Africa. The bra – an initiative of the SA Rooibos Council (SARC), Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and lingerie…
After nine years of negotiations, the South African Rooibos Council (SARC), the National Khoi-San Council and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries signed an access and benefit-sharing agreement that will see the Khoi-Khoi and San communities benefit from the commercialisation of Rooibos. The agreement is regarded as a milestone in the history of global…
Rooibos is one of South Africa’s most valued natural treasures. But how much do we really know about this home-grown tea? During Heritage Month in September, the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) embarked on a campaign to create greater public awareness of Rooibos. Here are some surprising facts about Rooibos: Every spring, the Rooibos bush is…
For centuries, drinking tea has played a central role in the lives of women across the globe. Women like British born Mary Tuke (1725-72) was among the first tea merchants to build a chain of tea stores. What’s more, she did so amid many jail threats and fines, since many (mainly men) were opposed to…
If you love Rooibos, you will love the eclectic Sea Point café Coco Safar’s Rooibos teas, espressos, floats and cold brews. The on-site botanical microbrewery produces four cold-brewed sparkling Rooibos drinks lightly sweetened with 100% pure Canadian spiced maple. Rooibos espresso capsules can also be purchased; they are named after Kaapstad (red Rooibos), Stellenbosch (green…
Tea has been hash-tagged over 29 million times on Instagram alone, indicating that social media might have made Sunday Tea sessions cool again. According to the SA Rooibos Council, more than 23 million users spend about three hours on social media every day. The Innova Market Insights consumer study also found that one in ten…
Breast cancer is second most common cancer in women and men worldwide. For women of all races, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is 1 in 27. One way to protect ourselves is to make sure we get enough cancer-fighting antioxidants, like the antioxidants found in Rooibos. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The…
In a recent survey, one-third of South Africans cited Rooibos tea among their top three colds and flu fighting strategies. A survey conducted by a leading health firm showed that South Africans’ first reaction to a cold is to take Vitamin C, get enough rest, and take Rooibos mixed with honey, lemon and/or ginger. But,…
All over the world, master chocolatiers and candy-makers are experimenting with new flavours and textures to keep chocolate lovers interested in their products. Recently, they have turned to superfoods – such as spirulina, goji berries, reishi mushrooms and Rooibos – to make their chocolates and sweets more appealing to a health-conscious market. Adele du Toit,…
All over the world, people are increasingly looking for healthy food – hence the growing interest in Rooibos. Nicie Vorster, spokesperson for the SA Rooibos Council (SARC), says, “Major Rooibos markets view the tea as a premium healthy lifestyle product and promote it in its pure and unblended form, which health-conscious consumers want more of.…
Indigenous Rooibos contains unique antioxidants and phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols which hold certain health benefits. To back these claims, the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) has made R4.5 million available for research on the ability of Rooibos to help reduce allergies, heart disease, diabetes and skin cancer. In South Africa alone, these diseases combined…
The South African Rooibos Council is investing in new research to better understand the plant’s health benefits. The Council has invested R4,5 million into studying claims that Rooibos reduces symptoms of allergies, heart disease, diabetes and skin cancer. Scientists will also investigate the impact of Rooibos on gut flora, and the extent to which it…
Coco Safar – the luxury patisserie, coffee emporium and brunch spot in Sea Point, Cape Town – has now introduced a dinner menu. The dinner menu is small but varied and offers the option of a two and three-course fixed price menu with a decent number of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options included. However, a…
Journalist Megan Baadjies tried out breakfast at luxury coffee shop and pâtisserie Coco Safar in Main Road, Sea Point. She also stopped at the coffee shop’s brew bar where she sampled green and red Rooibos made with their unique Rooibos capsules. Coco Safar serves delicious breakfasts – such as a Belgian waffle topped with slow-cooked…
The SA Rooibos Council has released figures showing how much consumers are currently paying per serving of their favourite drink based on average supermarket prices. The price per cup of black tea ranges from 20c to 45c, while Rooibos ranges from 40c to 60c, Green tea from 35c to 65c, Earl Grey from 60c to…
South African farmers are ready to plant more Rooibos tea as demand for this antioxidant-rich indigenous brew grows. However, the natural limit on suitable land could mean that supply will struggle to keep pace with demand. In 2018, Rooibos, which only grows in a small area some 200 km to the north of Cape Town,…
Soon cardiologists could be prescribing Rooibos as part of the therapeutic approach to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD) – an epidemic that annually claims 8.76 million lives worldwide. So says Prof Amanda Swart from the Biochemistry Department at Stellenbosch University following an examination of peer-reviewed studies spanning the last two decades on the therapeutic potential of…
Randfontein Herald: ‘DRINK ROOIBOS TO KEEP YOUR NY RESOLUTIONS ALIVE’ Read more here:North Eastern Tribune: HOW ROOIBOS TEA CAN HELP KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS GOING STRONG Read more here:Fourways Review: HOW ROOIBOS TEA CAN HELP YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS GOING STRONG Read more here:Midrand Reporter: HOW ROOIBOS TEA CAN HELP KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS GOING…
Rooibos is still one of the most affordable beverages amidst rising food prices, the VAT increase and inflation. According to the SA Rooibos Council, “Hot drinks, which includes tea, coffee and other speciality drinks, only saw an inflationary increase of 4.8% in comparison to cold drinks which rose by 7%.” Rooibos, in particular, offers great…
China’s first Rooibos Experience Bar has been opened at the Royce Hotel in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district. Visitors are encouraged to come on over and experience a range of Rooibos cocktails and flavoured teas.
The SA Rooibos Council commissioned historian Boris Gorelik to investigate historical records on the earliest usage of the Rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis) and the origins of the infusion known as Rooibos tea. Gorelik says it is possible that the Rooibos plant was used by San and Khoikhoi people in precolonial times. “We have archaeological records…
n August this year, the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) sent out its Heritage Month Survey to 1 000 South Africans from diverse cultures and ages to determine how the consumption of uniquely South African Rooibos has changed in recent years. See survey findings and braai recipes with Rooibos Look at interviews on Morning Live and eNCA
This blog on the MyKitchen website provides a beautiful overview of the Rooibos story – from how it became part of the tea-drinking culture in the Cederberg region during the 19th century to finding ways to germinate Rooibos seeds in the 1930s. Rooibos is produced from the plant Aspalathus linearis, a shrub unique to the Cederberg Mountains around…
Prof Jonny Peter, Head of the Allergy and Immunology Unit at the University of Cape Town’s Lung Institute, told CapeTalk’s #WeekendBreakfast host Africa Melane about the studies they are conducting to determine the impact of Rooibos on allergic inflammation. Laboratory studies have shown Rooibos has a positive effect on allergy-prone cells. They hope to turn…
Coco Safar, the café and coffee capsule company in Sea Point, Cape Town, offers a luxury experience when it comes to coffee and Rooibos. Rooibos is usually steeped in hot water to produce a tea-like beverage. But at Coco Safar, it is served as a capsule. Coco Safar also houses the world’s first botanical Rooibos…
Winter is often characterised by unsettled weather, a lack of sunshine, colds and flu, and reduced physical activity. Any combination of these factors can upset the body’s equilibrium. This can lead to indigestion, joint pain, dehydration, a sluggish metabolism, high blood pressure, depression, and lingering colds and flu. This is where a cup of hot…
Why a bit of alcohol – including a Rooibos cocktail – is actually good for you Did you know that moderate alcohol intake can be beneficial to your health? Firstly, moderate drinking can help to reduce your risk of Type-2 diabetes and, secondly, it can help you to live longer. Using Rooibos in cocktails adds…
In May this year, the world’s biggest coffee shop chain, Starbucks, introduced two Rooibos Lattes as part of its spring menu in the UK. The “luxurious” Rooibos Lattes – Rooibos Tea Latte and Red Apple Rooibos Tea Latte – were launched at 950 stores across the UK, which has one of the biggest tea-drinking markets…
Luxury coffee, pâtisserie and café brand Coco Safar unveiled its new botanical micro-brewery at its flagship store in Sea Point, Cape Town. It also introduced four house-brewed drinks made from botanical ingredients and “superfoods” such as Rooibos. This includes sparkling Red Rooibos and Green Rooibos and, for the craft gin lovers, Rooibos-infused House Tonic. Worldwide,…
Who would have thought that purses made from used Rooibos tea bags would become a fashion accessory in Paris? Gracious Dube (33), originally from Zimbabwe and now living in Cape Town, said she stumbled upon the idea while drinking a cup of Rooibos. To make the purses, she starts off by drying and ironing about…
Luxury coffee, patisserie and café brand Coco Safar has relocated from Claremont to a new flagship store in the Artem Centre (previously known as The Adelphi Centre) in Main Road, Sea Point, on Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard. The Coco Safar experience delivers many ‘world firsts’ in its offering of specialty coffee and Rooibos products, world-class…
Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world with around 2 billion people sipping on the brew per day. Rooibos is becoming one of the fastest-growing beverages in the drinks market globally, says Ernest du Toit from the SA Rooibos Council. If both export and local volumes were sold and…
In South Africa, school children are often exposed to the risk of sunburn as a result of schools lacking sun protection policies. Local research has shown that sunburn in children significantly increases the risk of developing skin cancer and melanomas – the deadliest form of skin cancer – later in life. Research has also shown…
AMW Boerdery on the farm Jakkalsvlei southwest of Clanwilliam produces up to 470 kg/ha of Rooibos a year. Wimpie Smit, co-owner of the farm, credits the results to sound production management which includes soil preparation, crop rotation and rigorous weed management, and of course favourable climatic conditions. According to Smit, the way in which the…
Did you know that the early Dutch settlers started drinking Rooibos in the late 17th century as an alternative to the more expensive black tea? Did you know that Rooibos is low in tannins, caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants? Read this article to find out more about Rooibos.
Rooibos contains antioxidants and compounds that can help people cope with the impact of stress on their health. When free radicals cause oxidation, they damage the healthy cells which could hinder one’s ability to learn and retain information. Rooibos counters this by reducing the effect of oxidative by-products in neural pathways, thereby stimulating concentration. This…
Scientists claim that internationally, sperm counts have halved over the past 50 years, with close to 20% of men between the ages of 18 and 25 having sperm counts defined as abnormal. A recent study conducted on rats by the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) found that rats on…
Researchers say South Africans sleep around six hours a night, which is not enough and which is considered a major public health concern as it costs the economy billions as a result of lost productivity and car accidents while also leading to health complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A study by…
In South Africa, deaths related to heart disease are expected to rise by 41% in the next 13 years, ways the South African Rooibos Council. The biggest risk factor is high blood pressure, which affects one in three adults. Drinking Rooibos has been identified as one means of prevention because Rooibos contains compounds proven to…
